3 On Your Side: Virgin America Takes Top Spot In Airline Ratings
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- So you think that air travel is getting worse? Well researchers who track the airline business, say that it's a fact! 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan looks at the latest airline quality report that gives low marks across the board.
More flights are late, more bags are getting lost, and more customers are filing complaints. That's according to annual airline ratings released Monday by researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Wichita State. Dr. Brent Bowen of Embry-Riddle says, "Generally this has not been a good year for America's flying public."
Using information that the airlines report to the U.S. Department of Transportation, researchers gave Virgin America the top airline ranking for the third consecutive year. Hawaiian took second place and Delta rounded out the top three.
76.2% of flights arrived on time last year, that's down from 78.4 in 2013. Hawaiian had the best on-time performance, Envoy Air which operates most American Eagle flights had the worst.
The rate of lost, stolen or delayed bags rose by 13 percent last year. Virgin America had the best track record for luggage, Envoy Air had the worst record.
Finally, airline complaints jumped 22 percent last year. Alaska had the fewest complaints, Frontier had the most.
Only three of 12 U.S. airlines evaluated actually improved this past year. and while one held steady, eight airlines declined.
To check out the full report visit: http://www.airlinequalityrating.com/ and click download.